Ride in the centre of the lane, or slightly to the right or left, to avoid oil and other stuff that could make scooter hard to handle.
RIDING SKILLS
Learn the basics for safe riding – braking, cornering, road position and passing. Riding a scooter takes different skills to riding a bicycle. Have a look at the video and learn something new.
LEARN TO SCOOT
When you first start scooting, it’s a good idea to learn and practice the correct riding techniques with an approved motorcycle riding instructor.
KEEP ON LEARNING
No matter how long you’ve been riding, you’ll benefit from getting advanced skills training from time to time, to check how good your skills really are and to learn
new ones.
DEFENSIVE RIDING
Scooters are small which means you can be hard to see. By assuming that car drivers won’t see you, you’ll ride defensively and be ready for
the unexpected.
SAFE BRAKING
Your front brake (right lever) is the most powerful, so start applying it first - then the rear one. Use a squeezing motion rather than a sharp pull. Safe braking takes practice.
THREE STAGES IN CORNERING
Entry - Brake before entry, come in slow and move to get a good view around the
corner or bend.
Middle - By the mid-point you should have released the brakes and be starting to
gently ease the power back on.
Exit - As you exit the corner, move back towards the centre of the lane and accelerate
back to your usual speed.
PASS ON THE RIGHT
Passing on the left hand side of traffic is a bad idea. Drivers aren’t expecting anyone there and may pull over and hit you.
LANE SPLITTING IS A NO-NO
The practice of zipping along between two lines of cars that are going the same way as you is called ‘lane splitting’. It’s not allowed in New Zealand, even if the vehicles are going very slowly.
SAFE FOLLOWING POSITION
When following another vehicle, position yourself so you can see the driver in their side mirrors. Stop at least a metre behind a car as this helps you stay out of their blind spots.
STAGGERED GROUP RIDING
If you’re riding in a group don’t ride side by side, rather stagger yourselves keeping at least two seconds apart to have room for safe braking and avoiding hazards.
BUYING TIPS
With a little help and straight-up advice it’s easy to avoid the things that take the fun right out of your riding.
Check out the buying tips ›
